Suspect caught after Big Isle officers shot

January 4, 2013

HILO (AP) - Hawaii County police on Thursday arrested a 31-year-old Hilo man suspected of shooting two police officers who had been investigating a report of gunfire.

A 20-person team of police officers, sheriff's deputies and FBI agents found the suspect, Keaka D. Martin, with a self-inflicted gunshot wound at a home in Hilo. Police arrested him on suspicion of first-degree murder and took him to Hilo Medical Center.

The officers were shot shortly before 9 p.m. Wednesday along the 1200 block of Kilauea Avenue. They were checking parked vehicles after several gunshots were reported in the area, police said in a news release.

The officers, one 40 years old and the other 31 years old, suffered gunshot wounds to their legs.

Chief Harry Kubojiri of the Hawaii Police Department said both officers had undergone surgery at Hilo Medical Center and were in stable condition.

While checking cars, the officers spotted a man hiding under a parked car, the release said. When the officers approached, the man fired at them. One of the officers returned fire, but it was not known if the man was injured. He managed to run away.

Law enforcement said they found Martin at a home on East Palai Street on Thursday afternoon following an extensive manhunt.

Officers heard a single gunshot from inside the house when they arrived. They found the suspect with a gunshot wound to the chest when they entered, county police said in a news release.

The Associated Press could not reach Martin for comment on Thursday, and it was not yet clear if he had an attorney.

The last time a department police officer was shot was in 1997, said police spokeswoman Chris Loos. Injuries in that shooting also were nonfatal.